I SO DON'T DO MAKEUP (book #3)

I SO DON'T DO SPOOKY (Book #2)

In stores now! In hardback and paperback!Sherry's baaack!! Sherry and her ghost mother team up in a new mystery. Can they keep The Ruler (Sherry's stepmother) safe? There's robotics, ghost hunting and some serious toilet papering. It's scary. It's spooky. It's fun. Oooooo. (p.s. Of course, Josh is back too!To order, online click here

I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES (book #1)

In stores now!

A girl. A guy. A ghost. A heist. Yikes!

Meet reluctant sleuth Sherry Holmes Baldwin!

Sherry (short for Sherlock) wants more mall time, less homework and a certain cute boy. Instead, she's recruited by her mother's ghost to prevent a rhino heist at San Diego's Wild Animal Park.

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

It's hard to fathom, but today is our final book club meeting of 2011. There are, in fact, only 24 more days left in this year. Which means it's that holiday season, where you're casting about for gifts for friends and family. Cast about no more! Think of us as your book review elves! We've put together reviews of all sorts of books, sure to please the people on your gift list and, of course, you too. Read on!

HOW THEY CROAKED--THE AWFUL ENDS OF THE AWFULLY FAMOUS by Georgia Bragg, illustrated by Kevin O'Malley.

I love this book! I already purchased it for Child #3 for Christmas. (No gift spoiler for him, as I can't imagine he reads this blog.) Sure, he's a sophomore in high school, and HOW THEY CROAKED is rated for kids aged 10+. But I can just imagine him tossing out disgusting bits of info to impress the girls at lunch. Tidbits like: "So that Tut wouldn't rot on the trip to the next life, the embalmers scooped his insides out from top to bottom. To get his brains out, a long bronze needle with a hook on the end was shoved up his nose. His brain was broken up into teeny bits and pulled out one piece at a time." (pg. 2) Yes, Child #3 will love this book too! And I think Child #4, my girly 11 year old, will also get a kick out of this book.

HOW THEY CROAKED provides gruesome details of the deaths of 19 famous people, including Henry VIII, George Washington, Albert Einstein, Elizabeth I and more. You'll also pick up interesting facts about their personalities, their lives and the times they lived in. Get a load of the opening paragraph of the chapter on "Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Brains": " It was the best of times for Charles Dickens, the richest, most famous author in the 1800s. But it was the worst of times for anyone who knew him. Dickens was incredibly talented, but he was also a moody, dirt-phobic control freak." (pg. 117)

The writing style is breezy and fun. The illustrations are great and complement the text. The subject matter is gory, gross and gripping. I have three holiday parties coming up in short order. Think of the conversations I'll start!

Please scroll down and click through for more book reviews. You won't be sorry. Neither will the people you're buying for.

Barrie, thanks for hosting and this one is just at the right time for the holidays. How They Croaked might make a good stocking stuffer for my teenaged son. My husband has a theory that guys never mature past age 15. Thanks for the recommendation!